In secret, behind locked gates, our Nation's Oldest City dumped a landfill in a lake (Old City Reservoir), while emitting sewage in our rivers and salt marsh. Organized citizens exposed and defeated pollution, racism and cronyism. We elected a new Mayor. We're transforming our City -- advanced citizenship. Ask questions. Make disclosures. Demand answers. Be involved. Expect democracy. Report and expose corruption. Smile! Help enact a St. Augustine National Park and Seashore. We shall overcome!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Kudos to Chairwoman Moeller and Commissioners Sundeman, Bequette and Radford
Kudos to AMCD Chairwoman Jeanne Moeller and Commissioners John Sundeman, Janice Bequette and Ronald Radford for voting for accountability, transparency and integrity.
In 2010, thanks to their leadership, AMCD rightly rejected the multi-milllion dollar building that its managers had pushed it to build for years.
In 2007, after eight months of discussion, AMCD rightly killed a $1.8 million no-bid Textron Bell Long Ranger Jet Helicopter purchase rubberstamped by the ancien regime under the Chairmanship of Barbara Bosanko and then-AMCD lawyer Geoffrey Dobson under the pretext of it was "sole source." The new board got an $81,000 refund of our deposit.
We don't need a helicopter.
We don't need a new building.
We don't need managers who spend money without authorization.
Applying for SJRWMD and DEP permits without permission was wrong.
Signing contracts without AMCD board approval was wrong.
Using propaganda photos of deferred maintenance items to sway the board was wrong.
Record reporter Peter Guinta's walking up to Chairwoman Moeller and saying she wasn't doing an adequate job of controlling Commissioner John Sundeman was wrong.
I reckon that Record Senior Reporter Peter Guinta needs to write a column again where he can express his opinions freely, without pretending to be "objective."
His former column was brilliant.
However, his opinionated remarks about the board having "wasted" money are merely opinions. The board learned how much a new building would costs and has the plans should it ever need one.
There is enough corruption and waste in St. Johns County to go around. It's great to see AMCD once again stand up against waste.
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